Got Wheels Under Warranty

oldmann · June 2, 2010

Hey guys. Glad to see GM stands behind their warranty once again. I had corrosion around the centers of my wheels and they replaced them. Center caps and all. Way cool!

pm26 · June 2, 2010

Good for you. Some of us were not so lucky. My local GM dealers (tried two of them) only offered to refinish the wheels, kept stalling the whole issue until I gave up. I had some minor corrosion , but this is very common in Florida due to salty and humid environment.

GM should be ashamed that they have not improved the quality of their cast aluminum clearcoated wheels, despite widespread problems with pitting and corrosion. I saw a brand new 2500 series Sierra on a dealer's parking lot with pitted clearcoated wheels!

oldmann · June 2, 2010

Wow, that is pretty bad. I wonder what it would be like to leave the clearcoat off. Then we could at least polish them. Maybe it would be more of a pain for the people who don't care about their wheels and they would look worse.

C. Charles Hahn · June 2, 2010

Wow, that is pretty bad. I wonder what it would be like to leave the clearcoat off. Then we could at least polish them. Maybe it would be more of a pain for the people who don't care about their wheels and they would look worse.

Leaving the clearcoat off would be a stupid, stupid move. Instead of just pitted clear, you'd have a whole different mess on your hands.

GM should be ashamed that they have not improved the quality of their cast aluminum clearcoated wheels, despite widespread problems with pitting and corrosion.

Look closer, the problem isn't just GM -- it's with ALL manufacturers. I don't think I've come across any brand that I have seen alloy rims that are impervious to corrosion. It just comes with the territory.

If anything, industry wide there needs to be a push to develop a different type of clear protective coating for alloy wheels that doesn't have chemical reactions with wheel weights, brake dust, and other contaminants.

oldmann · June 3, 2010

Great idea on the reformulation. Why in the heck do they still put wheel wweights on the outside edge of the rim? Now they have those adhesive ones for the inside, and some have figured out machines to balance by putting weight on the back side of a spoke so it is not seen at all!

pm26 · June 3, 2010

No need for any protective coating. They should make silver painted alloy wheels with rough surface texture. They never corrode or pit. I had several vehicles with this type and never a problem. On the other hand, polished clear coated wheels have been nothing but a headache, no matter who makes them. At least Mazda replaced them under warranty, GM didn't.

biggjay96x · June 3, 2010

my truck goes in next week for the same issues.

C. Charles Hahn · June 3, 2010

No need for any protective coating. They should make silver painted alloy wheels with rough surface texture. They never corrode or pit. I had several vehicles with this type and never a problem. On the other hand, polished clear coated wheels have been nothing but a headache, no matter who makes them. At least Mazda replaced them under warranty, GM didn't.

Granted the painted alloys never have problems, but they just don't look as good.

I've had excellent luck with the finish on my '08 All Terrain's wheels, but those wheels were an extra cost option and are made much better than most any of the other OE wheels I've seen. They've survived two winters in salt and slush without any blemishes to speak of at all. Sure, the clearcoat oxidizes if I don't keep it polished and waxed/sealed, but that's to be expected.

pm26 · June 3, 2010

Coastal Florida is one of the most corrosive environments in the US. US Army actually tests their truck parts on the local beach. They claim this was the worst corrosion inducing environment they could find. So you can imagine what this does to clear coated wheels. I am extremely meticulous about my vehicles and try to keep them spotless but these polished clear coated wheels just do not last around here, no mater what you do. And chromed plastics actually corrode here too! It is funny, but I had one chromed plastic mirror corrode on my Nissan pickup and it was the mirror that was facing the ocean! The other one remained spotless.

Somebody drove an old Honda car to work with the front part of the roof completely rusted away from the edges and to keep it from opening up like a sardine can he had to keep the roof down with one hand while he drove the car!

SuDoNum · June 7, 2010

I took mine in a couple months ago. My local dealer at first said they would re-polish them, I was fine with that as I figured once they touched them they owned them. They told me it would take 2-3 days, so I dropped it off right before Memorial Day weekend as I was going to be out of town the following week. I even told them I'd buy new tires since the mounting and balancing was going to be free.

The Service Adviser called me while I was out of town to give me the price of the tires (GY Silent Armour's). We argued over the mounting and balancing being free or not. He told me he'd call me back. He called back in about an hour to tell me that they weren't going to touch the wheels as they felt they had been "chemically burned" They said the under carriage was rusted as well.

I got back into town yesterday and went to get the truck this morning. I called and told the Service Adviser that I wanted to see it up on the lift so they could show me the under carriage rust. When I got there they put it on the lift and the "Assistant Service Adviser" pointed out the anodization on a C5 license plate and frame that I have on the front of the truck (Louisiana, no front plate required) . I replied that those pieces weren't made by GM, were 10 years old, and had been on three different vehicles, all of them GM's! He then pointed to some red marks on the frame saddle under the engine. I asked for a rag and wiped the red mud off of the frame. He then showed me where the clear coat was missing from the wheels and he called it "corrosion". I pointed to the areas around the stems on all 4 wheels where the surface of the wheel was actually "bubbling" and you could see a dark area underneath and mentioned that it was only occurring at those areas, no where else on the wheel so how could something that I had run over only been deposited in those areas? He again pointed to the areas with the missing clear coat, but no other marks. At this point I gave up with the "Assistant Service Manager" as I realize I won't get anywhere with him. I ask them to take it off the lift, and pay for my oil change and annual inspection.

I'll be contacting Chevy Customer Service directly. I've had good luck with them in the past. However if anyone has any other suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. Also, BTW, I don't believe what I'm experiencing is normal aluminum wheel issues. And FWIW, these are the 20" custom wheels on a 2007 LTZ.

Thanks for listening!

andyems · July 29, 2010

Anyone know how to contact GM directly? I'm having the same problem getting my wheels repaired or replaced. I have corrosion on them at only 19,000 miles. Took it to the dealer a month ago next Monday. They took pictures and said the could not replace them without the "Zone Service Manager" seeing the pics and authorizing it because the wheels are a "wearable item". I've called back several times, and they just keep telling me they have to wait on him to call them back and tell them whether to replace or not. They said they have no idea when he will answer the question. They said it could be tomorrow or a few weeks from now, said he has a huge area and usually takes a long time to get back with them because he is so busy.

If they don't replace them, it's not really that big of a deal, but it just aggravates me that to get something that's still under the bumper to bumper warranty replaced takes almost a month now and still no idea when I will even get an answer. Very disappointing.

Harvey Halabookie · July 29, 2010

My Dad just got all four wheels replaced no charge on his '07 NBS 2500 series. There was bad corrosion under the clearcoat around the valve stems too.

I would just take the clearcoat off if possible. At least you can then polich the aluminum. No problems so far on my wife's 08 Cobalt Sport with polished rims, but I poliched them a few times and keep them clean.

For durability, either polished aluminum or chrome-plated aluminum are best here in the salt belt.

C. Charles Hahn · July 29, 2010

For durability, either polished aluminum or chrome-plated aluminum are best here in the salt belt.

Uh, no they're not. The polished aluminum can get pitted just as badly as the clear coat if not properly looked after, and the chrome plating can rust and flake/peel from salt exposure.

I don't care WHAT kind of wheels you have, they're going to be subject to corrosive damage if not meticulously maintained.

chevytruckin08WNY · July 29, 2010

Uh, no they're not. The polished aluminum can get pitted just as badly as the clear coat if not properly looked after, and the chrome plating can rust and flake/peel from salt exposure.

I don't care WHAT kind of wheels you have, they're going to be subject to corrosive damage if not meticulously maintained.

+1 Agreed and kickin that up a notch by having a winter set and a summer set. 18" factory alloys in the summer and I'm running the 17" chrome clad steelies in the winter salt. I figure the alloys will be easier to keep looking good thataway since they won't be exposed to the road salt. 2 sets of tires so no remounting/balance required.

Harvey Halabookie · July 29, 2010

True, but what I meant is that at least with polished or chrome, you CAN properly care for the wheels. The clearcoat, which is supposed to protect the finish, IMO prevents you from properly caring for the wheels. Once there is corrosion under the clearcoat, you would have to remove it before you can even attempt to care for the rims.

I've had both polished and chrome wheels over the years and never had problems with them. I kept them clean and polished and would wax them just before winter.